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Christensen: Football Folly

By Todd Christensen, The Mtn. Football Analyst
February 1, 2011

There is an old joke that I believe originated with the great Rodney Dangerfield: "I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out."

A twist on this long-time favorite would be: "I turned on the Pro Bowl, and an arena league football game broke out."

An All-Star football game has always been a difficult sell.

Unlike the other three major sports, it’s not scheduled mid-season and because of the violent nature within the sport, it’s difficult to showcase the genuine article. In baseball, everyone understands that everyone on the team is going to play and that pitchers only pitch two innings at the most. In basketball, very little defense is played, which results in a glorified slam-dunk contest that everyone acknowledges is part of the All-Star Weekend.

Even in hockey, where the poor goaltenders are also unaided by any semblance of defense, it’s pretty much a given that double-digit goal totals are the status quo for this event.

But this past Sunday in Hawaii, the NFL reached a new low in terms of mediocrity and passive effort. Pass rushers didn't rush, no one blitzed, and the tackling was more reminiscent of flag or touch football.

The final play of the game, in which Cleveland center Alex Mack scored on a 67-yard double-lateral pass play while the NFC defense literally stood still and watched, was an embarrassment.

AFC head coach Bill Belichick, he of the terse quote, when asked about this game stated, "It is what it is."

That may be, but what it is not is a competitive contest with some of the world's greatest athletes in what could be argued America's greatest game.

While return to the post-Super Bowl date is not going to fix the woes of this tepid encounter, at least all of the best players will be there.

Football may need to take a page from the other sports in terms of augmenting their product. A new football skills competition? A rookie game? What about a punt, pass and kick contest featuring a dozen of the most prominent NFL players? Even reprising the Superstars Competition amongst Super Bowl combatants, or for that matter, five member Pro Bowl teams looks to be more inviting than the sad contest witnessed this past Sunday.

Or maybe it is simply time for the Pro Bowl to go away.
See all of Todd Christensen's blog entries HERE.